Editor’s Note: This is the second of two parts.

Information and photos by Ed Shannon

Smokestack and chimney are words that can be somewhat synonymous. Both words are used to describe or define a structure that is used to convey smoke and gases up into the atmosphere for disposal and dispersal. The differences in the use of these two words my be based on size and height. And through the years the word smokestack has been used to designate the larger pipe or brick structure used to discharge smoke and gases even higher up into the air.

Smokestacks have also been closely associated with the era when coal was the prime fuel for creating electrical power and heat. Now, in the era of natural gas usage, some smokestacks may have been replaced with smaller chimneys.

Yet, there are still some smokestacks rising above local buildings that can be considered an interesting part of the city’s skyline.

View the photos of current smokestacks in Albert Lea, and look to the captions to provide where each smokestack is and what it’s used for.

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